Radiator



April 16, 1935. A. H. DAVIS. JR., El AL RADIATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 4, 1933 INVENTORS M /9aow, @f

nrromvsw A ril 18, 1935. A. H. DAVIS, JR., ET AL RADI-ATOR 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1933 11L F, lg W J h N INVENTORS 440M XV,@M, 0/

W$Q M RTTORNEYO WITNESSES fi W April 1935a A. H. DAVIS, JR., ET AL RADIAT OR 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1933 WITNESSES INVENTORS RTTOH VEKSI I Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE :nADIA'ron p vnmhibala n. Davis, an, New Castle, and. 1 mm 1 Winsborough,.Pittsburgh', Pa... assignors to Shaw-Perkins Manufacturing Company,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December4,1933, Serial'No; 700,790

V eolaims. 01. 257-4361 7 unit. The panels are also provided with upperOur invention relates to radiators and particularly to radiators of thecombined'radia'nt and convection type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a radiator of thetype described above...

that isof unitary construction and that-maybe easily and convenientlypositioned in asuitable recess or that may be partially or fully exposedto view for operation in a'substantially similar manner. r I

Another object of our invention is to provide a radiator comprising aconvection unit to which air may be admitted and' delivered therefromsubstantially without interference from the accumulation of such foreignmaterials as may terials against the inlet face of the unit will be ireadilyaapparent and such materials may be face thereof forsubstantially vertical flow there through and out at the top thereof.Insuch cases it will be appreciated-that-the-accumulation of any foreignmaterial such as plaster upon the upper surfaces or outlet surfaces ofthe unit willtend to restrict flow of air'threthrough' and that if suchaccumulation is allowed to continue for any considerable period of timethe flow of air through the convection unit may be substantiallystopped. v

In accordance with our invention we provide a radiator of unitaryconstruction and having a convection unit composed of verticallydisposed plates that extend transversely 'to' the front panels of theradiator; Suitable tubes for heating fluid, such as steam or hot water,extend horizontally through the plates of the convection unit. Otherhorizontal tubes,'which may zontally and upwardly through the convectionor outlet openingsfor delivering air currents of convection to the roomto be heated.

Y It will be understood, however, that the radiating section also. heatsby convection and-the convection unit also heats by radiation. Theseparts are "so named because of their primary function in thedistribution of heat. In the ra diator we have provided the radiatingsection and the convectionunit are so structurally and functionallyinterrelated that theyconstitute in effect a single unit although, forconvenience of description herein, they arereferred to separately. Q 7

The radiator briefly described above'may be mounted entirely within arecess in which case it isspaced from the back of the recess to providein'effect a flue for air currents of 'convece tion whereby the lattermay travel from ;the convection unit upwardly and out through .theoutlet openings in the front panels.

In case the radiator is mounted 'fullyex Jposed position, it maybesuitably enclosed ina sheet metal casing that covers the ends and top,the casing being open at the back but in engage}- ment with the surfaceof the wall which may be suitably insulated. The radiator'unit is spacedfrom the wall in order to provide the'flue referred to above. I

' If desired, the radiator unit may have a casing that completelyencloses it except'for the'front thereof and comprises a back suitablyspaced from the front panels to provide the flue referred. to above. Theback of the casing may alsobe spaced from the wall to provide aninsulating blanket of air therebetween. g I

The details of our invention willbe described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a View in front elevation of aradiator of the cabinet type shown in fully recessed mounting, partsbeing broken away; Fig. 2 a horizontal sectional" view taken on lineIIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 afvertical sectional view of the radiator of Fig.1; Fig. 4 a face view of a blank for form ing a frontpanelof theradiator; Fig. 5 a viewof one of the panel sections in finished formbefore it is folded; Fig. 6 a view of the panel section of .Fig. 5 infolded position; Fig. '7 a view in vertical sectionof a radiator of ourinvention mounted in exposed position with an adjacent wall serving asback therefor; Fig. 8 a similar view of a radiator having a completecasing, therefor and spaced from an adjacent wall; and Fig. 9 an endelevation of a radiator of doubleunit type.

" Referring particularly to Figs. 1. 2 and 3. a I9.-

diator I constructed in accordance with our invention is illustrated asmounted within a recess 2 in the wall 3 of a room to be heated. By wayof example, the recess 2 is located beneath a window I. The radiator Iis a unitary structure provided with a smooth paneled front surface.

The radiator I is illustrated as provided with the usual supply .pipe 5for conveying steam through a control valve Ii to horizontally disposedheating tubes I arranged in a single verticalbank and connected inseries. A thermostatic trap 8 at the outlet end of the heating tubes Iconnects the latter to a return pipe 9. In case hot water is used,suitable connections will, of course, be employed. Certain of thehorizontal tubes 1' are preferably connected in pairs at adjacent endsthereof by suitable integral return bends, separate return bends beingused at the other ends,

whereby they form structurally and functionally a continuous tube fromthe supply pipe'5 to the return pipe9 at the other end thereof.

At the lower end of the radiator I is a convection unit IIconstituted bya series of vertical metal plates or fins I2 that are mounted on thelower two tubes I. versely to the front of the radiator I and thevertical spaces or passageways therebetween serve for the flow of aircurrents of convection through the unit. The separation of the exteriorof the unit into inlet and outlet spaces for facilitating the flow ofair therethrough will be later described.

The front of the radiator is constituted by a series of vertical panelsI3 of sheet metal. 'Each panel I3 is provided adjacent the bottomthereof with a flanged inlet opening I4 for the admission of airhorizontally therethrough into the vertical spacesbetween the plates I2of the convection unit II. The upper portion of the radiator is in theform of a grille integral with the panels thereof, the topof each panelI3 being provided with a pair of elongated openings I5 and anapproximately square opening IS for permitting the outward flow of airthat has been heated principally by the convection unit I I. Theopenings I5 and I6 are also flanged.

As is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the radiator unit is spaced from aplate I! in the back of the recess 2 in which it is mounted in order toprovide in effect a flue space I8 in rear of the convection unit I Iwhereby air that has been heated by the latter and other heated partsmay flow upwardly and then outwardly through the outlet openings I5 andIS. The depth of the flue space need not be exact but should be such asto permit the flow of air without material resistance.

In the formation of the panels i3. sheet metalblanks 26 having the formof that shown in Fig. 4 are provided. The rectangular openings at theends of the blanks 29 are then expanded in such manner as to providesuitable flanges on one side of the blank, thus forming the inletopening I4 and outlet openings. I5 and I 6- of the panel I 3. Similarlythe circular holes on both sides of the blank are expanded to provideflanged holes oropenings 2I through which the tubes 'Iare to bethreaded.

. When the panels I3 are in the form illustrated in Fig. 5 they arefolded into channel shape along longitudinal lines extending slightlywithin the edges of the end projections 22 and 23 to provide completedpanels such as the panel I3 shown in Fig. 6. The panel sections I3 arethen assembled by placing them 'side-by-side and threading the tubes?through the flanged These plates extend transopenings 2! in there-arwardly extending panel flanges 24, the ends of the tubes beingconnected by return bends as stated above to provide for continuous flowof heating fluid therethrough.

The plates I2 of the convection unit II are placed on the lower pipes Iin proper sequence with each other and with the flanges 24 at the sametime that the tubes 1 are threaded through the lower openings 2| in theflanges 24 of the panel sections I3. If desired the tubes 7 may beexpanded by hydraulic pressure after they are in position in the holes2i and through the plates I2 in order that there may be such firmengagement between the tubes I and the surrounding flanged edges as toreadily effect expanels I3 bear against the upper and lower outer edgesrespectively of therecess 2. The upper and lower edges ofthe radiator Imay be cov ered with suitable molding strips 25 and 26 as best shown inFig. 3.

When the radiator is assembled as set forth above the continuous tubeformed; by the connected tubes I constitutes a mechanical support forthe panelsl3 and the plates I2 and ties the entire structure together.This continuous tube supplies heat for both the radiating and convectionportions.

The flanges 24; which extend in pairs between groups of the plates I2and the rear vertical edges of'which are flush with those of the plates,

are of relatively heavysheet metal and of such 1-- rigidity as toprotect the edges of the relatively thin metal plates particularly inshipping and erecting the radiators. The flanges 24 serve as convectionmembers and also conduct heat to the front surfaces of the panels I3.

The arrangement of the plates I2 of the convection unit II entirelyWithin the flanges 2d of the panels I3 provides that the flanges act as'flues to increase the upward flow of air above the convection unit. 'Agreater flow of air with a corresponding increase in heat exchangeoccurs in this arrangement with plates or flns of relatively shortvertical length than would be the case if the plates were relativelylong by reason of the increased air resistance of the longer plates.

In the operation of the radiator shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 steam orothersuitable heating fluid is admitted through the control valve 6 for flowthrough the the several tubes I in series. The plates I2 of theconvection unit I I are heated as are the flanges 2t and the frontportion of each of the panels I 3. The heating of the latter causes themto radiate heat outwardly into the room.

The heating of the air between the plates I2 causes the air thus heatedto flow upwardly and rearwardly into the flue space I8 defined by theback plate I! of the recess and the front portions of the several'panelsI3. Air flows horizontally through the openings I4 into the verticalspacesbetween the plates I2. The air cur rents of convection thus formedpass upwardly in the flue space I8 and flow outwardly through the upperopenings l5'and I6 into the room to be heated.

As is best shown in Fig. 3, the upper portion of the front side of theconvection unit is sealed from the inlet openings I4 by the flangessurrounding the openings I4. Such small amount continuow passagewayformed by 5' of air as may flow upwardly around the flanges will beheated by theoverlappingportions of the panels l3 and plates I2. Thisarrangement serves two'very.usefulipurposes, one being that airisprevented from flowing diagonallyacross a very small portion of theupper front corner. of the unit into the fluespace is without beingadequately heated, as would occurlifthe en-' tire front face of the unitwere open to the 'in-,

the convection unit and out of the top thereof while permittinganonnalrate of flow horizonper end of the unit may be sealedins'tead ofthe front upper portion and short-circuiting of the air will beprevented: However, in such case the flow of air through the unit willbe substantially entirely horizontal andthe increasedcapacity ofthepreferred arrangement will be v with large floor spaces.

sacrificed. I

The lower portion of theconvection unit must also be sealed to preventshort-circuiting of' unit is not necessary.

It will be noted that in order to prevent shortcircuiting of cold air,it is necessary to seal the inlet space from the outlet space. Thesealed portions. must have a width substantially equal to the horizontalwidth of the plates in order to insure that all air. passing through theunit traverses a distance at least approximately equal to the .width ofthe plates inorder to be adequately heated. This provision alsoequalizes the flow through various portions of the unit because of thesubstantially uniform distance between the various portions oftheginletspace and the nearest outlet space,

Reference may nowbe'had to'Fig. '7 in which a radiator unit 28 similarto that of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is mounted in exposed position. The frontportion of the radiator 28 is similar in all respects ,to that-oftheradiator described above.

A casing 29 consisting of a top 30 and two similar 1 side members 3!(only one of which appears) encloses the space between the panels 13 ofthe front of the radiatoriand' the wall" 32 in rear thereof which maybe,if desired, providedlwith V asuitable heat-insulating plate .33. Theoperation of the radiator ZBis'similar in all essential respects to thatof the radiator I described abover In case it is desired to space theentire radiator unit from the wall it may be mounted in a mannershown inFig. 8. The casing 29 is now provided with a back 35 which maybe eitherintegral with the top and end portions or may be separate, as desiredThe operation of this form of our invention is similar in all respectsto that panel portions similarmain units 38 each of which is similar in,construction and operation to the radiator lof Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Partsthat'are duplicates of thoseof Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are designated by likereference numerals.

' The, main units comprising front radiant l3 having inwardly extendingflanges 24 are placed back-to-backand spaced to provide 'a flue 39therebetween. Imus each unit ;38 constitutes a back for the flue spaceof-the other unit. The radiator units 38may be provided with a top 453if the panels it are provided as shown withoutlet openings I5 and it.,If desired, however, the-top of the radiator 3'! may be partially orwhollyopen in which case the outletopenings l5 and) may be omitted.

.In the operation of the radiator 31 of the double unit type, air entersthrough the inlet openings M on each side and flows through theconvection units l l horizontally and upwardly and into. the flue space39 between the units. Heated air flows into the room either through theoutlet openings, if provided, or out ofthe top.

form of radiator is particularly adapted for locations requiringradiators of large capacity such, for example 'aspublic buildings orrooms A radiator constructed in accordance with our invention is very.efiicient by reason 'of the increasedcapacity of-the convection unit asarranged therein. The radiator occupies relatively small space butprovides a'relativ ely large total surface area-for the exchange of heatwith the adjacent air. All visibleportions of the radiator including thepanels, as well as the plates I2, radiate heat directly into the roomand adjacent and substantially parallel-to the floor of thelatterwhereheating'is ordinarily most desirable. In addition air isadmitted horizontally to the ;heated'plates of the convectionunit forpassage either horizontally orupwardly therethrough into a flue spacefor the air currents of convection.

asby lint'or other material may bereadily de-L tected and. removed andthe free flow of air through the convection unit may thus be assured.

Also, it will be appreciated that in case foreign material, such asplaster or other material,

accumulates on the top of the convection unit It,

it will not prevent the flow of airthrough the latter because it mayfind an outlet at the rear of the convection unit regardless of therestric-' tion of flow through the top of'the unit.

The mounting of the convection unit in a vertical position and sealedas'described above perunits the radiator to be mounted in a'recess flushwith the front wall of the' room regardless of excessive depth of therecess as the width of the flue in rear of the panels is not material solong as it is ample; The draft created by such flue increases the'amountof air passing through the radiator. 1 1

Since air is admitted only atinletspaces of the convection unit that aresuitably sealedfrom the outlet spaces thereof, the flow of air throughthe unit is assured inasmuch as cold air can not by-pass the unit. Also,the air must travel a predetermined distance through the unit.

Also the vertical spacing of the tubes extending through the convectionunit increases'the "free air space or cross-sectional area of 'thepathof air through the unit and. the latter offers less resistance to theflow of air therethrough than would be the case if the tubes were spacedhorizontally for upward flow therebetween. The length of the totalclearance space between the tubes and adjacent walls is greater than ifthe unit is placed across the flue space for upward flow onlytherethrough.

The construction of the radiator whereby it may rest directly on thefloor is of advantage because the appearance of the radiator. is greatlyimproved over that of one spaced therefrom because it appears to be anintegral part of the structure of the room. In addition, the floorserves as a closure for the bottom portion of the radiator to limit theinward flow of air to the inlet openings in the front thereof.

The edges of the closely spaced convection plates 12 so divide the largespaces provided by the inlet openings in the front panels as to presentan attractive appearance.

The foregoing and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled inthe art of constructing radiators.

We claim: a

1. A radiator comprising a front panel for heating by radiation, aconvection unit connected to said panel for heating air currents byconvection, and tubes for heating fluid extending through saidconvection unit and adjacent said panel, said radiator having bottom andtop openings for respectively admitting air laterally to said convectionunit and delivering air currents of convection to the room to be heated.

2. A radiator comprising a front panel for heating by radiation, aconvection unit connected to said panel for heating air currents byconvection, said convection unit comprising a. plurality of verticallydisposed plates extending transversely to said panel, and a series ofhorizontal tically disposed and arranged side-by-side on a plurality ofsaid tubes adjacent the bottom portion of said radiator, said frontpanels being provided with lower openings for the admission of airhorizontally therethrough between the front portions of said plates andprovided also with upper openings for the delivery of air cur rents ofconvection into the room. 4. A radiator comprising sections eachof asingle piece of sheet metal constituting front panels having inwardlybent flanges with tubereceiving openings, a plurality of verticallyspaced horizontally extending tubes for heating fluid extending throughsaid openings for holding said panels in alignment, and a series ofhorizontally spaced vertically disposed plates on certain of the. lowertubes, said'front panels having upper and lower openings forrespectively admitting air adjacent the front edge portions of saidplates fortravel therebetween and delivering air currents of convectioninto the room to be heated.

5. A radiator comprising a front panel, a convection unit having aseries of horizontally spaced verticalplates adjacent to said panel,means in rear of said panel for defining a, flue for air currents ofconvection from said unit, andmeans comprising a portion of said panelfor directing the flow'of air horizontally between said plateson oneside thereof and out of unobstructed vertical spaces on another sidethereof, whereby the depth of said flue may be greater than thehorizontal width of said plates.

6. A radiator comprising a front panel composed of a series ofvertically interlocking sheet metal units, a convection unit comprisinga plurality of horizontally spaced vertical plates'extendingtransversely to said panel, a portion of one vertical sideof said unitbeing open to the atmosphere and said panel overlapping another portionof said side to obstruct the flow of air thereinto, and a heating tubefor connecting saidpanel and said plates and for heating them.

'7. A radiator comprisinga front radiant panel composed of a series ofvertically interlocking sheet metal units, a convection unit comprisinga plurality of horizontally spaced vertical plates extendingtransversely to said panel and par tially overlapping the latter toprovide open and obstructed portions of said unit on one side thereof,and said unit being adapted to rest upon the floor to obstruct'anotherside thereof, and a heating tube for mechanically connecting said paneland said plates.

3. A radiator comprising two spaced units in symmetrical relation, eachunit comprising a front radiant portion having an inlet opening, and aplurality -of vertical convection plates across said opening andextending transversely to said front portion to provide spaces for theflow of air inwardlytherethrough to the'space between said units whichconstitutes a flue therefor, and means for heating said units. a

9. A radiator comprising two units that are placed back-to-back andspaced to provide a flue space therebetween, each of said unitscomprising a front radiant panel portion having a bottom inlet andhaving a plurality of rearwardly'extending flanges, a series of verticalconvection plates extending transversely to said front panel portion andacross said inlet to provide spaces for the flow of air therethroughinto said flue space, and means comprising a tube extending through saidplates and said flanges for heating said unit.

ARCHIBALD H. DAVIS, JR. PAXSON WINSBOROUGH.

